Archive for March, 2013

For Easter dinner, rather than having something “traditional” like ham or lamb, I chose to do something different this year. It’s an “old favorite” and a very easy “comfort food”. It’s called “Beef Bourguignonne”.

-Marinate beef overnight with wine. (Refrigerate while marinating.)
-Preheat oven to 325.
-Drain wine from beef before cooking but save wine for use in cooking the stew.
-Sauté salt pork or bacon with onion/leek until transparent and lightly crispy.
-Remove pork and onions from pan and reserve to the side.
-Cut stew beef into 1 inch pieces and sauté til light brown in hot pork fat.
-Sprinkle meat with flour and place in oven-proof/stove-friendly pan with salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, and thyme or marjoram.
-With the wine used to marinate the meat, take 3/4 wine to 1/4 water and put in enough to completely cover the meat.
-Bring to a boil.
-Once boiling, remove from stove, cover, and place in 325 oven.
-Cook for 2 hours.
-Place pork and onions on top of beef.
-Leave in 325 oven for another hour.
-For the last 10 minutes, you may add sauteed mushrooms if desired.
-Serve over mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles.
-Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

Eat and enjoy!!!

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I served this over mashed potatoes with steamed asparagus. It was an awesome Easter dinner!

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This was posted from WordPress for BlackBerry on Jill’s BlackBerry. Carry on!

Matthew 28: 1 – 20

The Resurrection

28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you have read much of my blogposts, you’ve figured out, I’m sure, that, while I have strong opinions and am not afraid to stand my ground, I am also a true kid at heart. I guess it’s just because I learned how to have fun as well as how to be serious in the proper context. What good is life if you can’t have a balance and know how to let go and be silly sometimes?

Anyway, at Easter, there is a particular Easter candy that is manufactured that I have always loved. I could eat them until I made myself sick at Easter and still love them. If my mother bought them or if the Easter bunny brought them, I’d eat as many as I could get away with before my mother would yell at me about it. Even at almost 60 years old, I can still do this.

What kind of candy am I talking about? It’s one that has been around forever and people either love or hate. It’s very sweet and manufactured/sold in the USA and Canada. Roy doesn’t like them. That’s fine with me. It just means that leaves more for me and I don’t have to fight him for them or horde them or steal them (like I did from my kids).

Yes, I know. They’re a kids’ candy. They’re overly sweet (marshmallow covered in sugar … period). They’re not healthy. They don’t lend themselves to my diet. However, what good is life if you can’t enjoy it and splurge on something like this every so often? I’d find it incredibly boring.

So this time of year, when the Easter Peeps come out, Ihaftahave some. I know they make some now for other holidays during the year, but I find that wrong. They were originally only an Easter candy, and I have am a purist. They’re just wrongother times of the year. What can I say?

Anyway, I love these little guys …

… and it doesn’t matter what color …

… but the chicks are the best …

…not the bunnies.

LOL

I know.

I’m warped.

So … along with that … and my love of simple desserts … when a friend of mine posted this picture … I just knew … this has to be my “Easter dessert”.

Luke 22 – 24

Jesus Before Pilate

23 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

Like we stated earlier today, we are cashing in our “rollover nap minutes” this weekend. However, some days, no matter how much you have to do and how hard you’re working your dream, are like this picture below. It’s just hard to get outta bed.

Now the trick is not only must you know your physical, emotional, & mental limits so that you can plan a time of rest and rejuvenation … but also know when to push your body just a little harder to “push past the pain” like a runner might so that you can get to your success goals and find that better life you desire. It’s out there waiting for you to obtain.

This was posted from WordPress for BlackBerry on Jill’s BlackBerry. Carry on!

Roy and I were out-of-town for our personal business ventures this past weekend in Denver, CO, where we experienced a spectacular snowstorm on Friday night and throughout most of Saturday. (While Roy grew up in Maine, it’s nice to not have to deal with those blizzards on a day-to-day basis any longer.)

Anyway, we got up Sunday morning at 4:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time to catch a flight back home and arrived at the Sacramento (CA) Airport at about 10:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday morning so that we could race back to Placerville, CA, do laundry, cook for the week, and greet our animals that had been wonderfully taken care of by our marvelous pet/house sitter over the weekend. We were then up Monday morning at 4:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, only 23 hours since we’d left Denver (where it was 3 degrees Fahrenheit to the balmy 69 degrees Fahrenheit at home). I worked a 10 hour day on Monday and Roy had an exam he had to take for the new “regular job” that he has, not getting home himself till well after 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.

Like I say, while we’re entrepreneurs at heart, right now, we have our “regular jobs” that we have to have in the meantime while we work our dreams. To really be a success, you have to be willing to “go the extra mile” and give it all you have in life.

However, after weekends like the past (which was wonderfully productive financially, intellectually, and emotionally), suffice it to say that we are incredibly tired and are looking forward to having at least a day or two where we can sleep in and nap, which is our goal over this coming Easter weekend (when we also plan to stuff ourselves on Easter candy, just as we did when we were children).

So … we will be using our “rollover” minutes this weekend, thank you very much (along with eating Peeps, Cadbury Eggs, Reese’s Eggs, Jelly Bellies, Malted Milk Balls, and Chocolate Bunnies).